Crutch



A. B. LOUISON.

CRUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1919.

1,342,506. PatentedJune8,1920.

umro

ALFRED B. toUIsoN, or ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

CRUTGH.

To all whom it may concern: 7 .Be it known that I, ALFRED B. LoUIsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois,'have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Crutches,

of which the following is a specification.

' The invention relates to crutches, and hasfor its object the provision of means of a practical character for minimizing the wear upon theclothing of the user and at the same time facilitating the use of the crutch.

The object of the invention thus generally stated 'is attained by the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming parthereof, 1n which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of a crutch embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 21s an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 3. I Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary edge elevation of the'upper portion of the crutch.

In the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated, the crutch comprises, a staff having crutch sticks 1, a top-piece 2, and a bearing member 3 mounted upon the upper end of the crutch sticks. 4 indicates generally means for retaining the top-piece in position upon its bearing member.

The crutch sticks 1 may be of usual con- .struction, and the bearing member 3 is provided in its under side with openings 5 to receive the upper ends of the crutch sticks.

The top-piece 2 is preferably curved on a radius of substantial length so as to enablean easy rolling motion to be efiected between it and the bearing member 3 which has a straight upper surface. By this construction it-will be apparent that in the use of the crutch, as the crutch staff is'swung to and fro with reference to the top-piece, which is held relatively stationary by the user, the bearing point of the top-piece upon the member 3 is constantly shifted according to the angular position of V the crutch and in a direction toward the vertical. Thus the weight upon the crutch tends at all times to approach a position in which it can be supported with the least effort on the part of the user. Preferably the contacting surfaces of the top-piece 2'and the bearing member 3 are provided with intermeshing teeth 6 and 7 Whichserve to prevantage a cushion' upon the top-piece.

vent relative .endwisesliding movement be tween sald parts.

spring 12 preferably bears upon a'slotted' washe1414 engagingwith the undersideof the member 3 and at its other endupon a washer 15 supported by the wing nut 13. It

will be seen that the means 4 does: not pre vent the desired relative motion between the top-piece 2 and the'inember 3', but serves tov limit the extent of's'uch movement. in either direction, the spring being preferably so tensioned as .to normally hold the top-piece 2 in its central position upon the member- Specification of Letters Patent. V Patented J 11 8,1920, Application filed Februa1'y 24, 1919. Serial no. ameos. 7

3, without restraining to any material eX- Q. tent the normal movements between said parts. The tension of the springmay, lhow ever, be readily adjusted by 3 his own convenience.

For the purpose of preventing'the clothing of the user from being caught and the user to suit" bound between the top-piece'2 and the mem- I ber 3,.suitably shaped plates 16 of preferred material are secured on opposite sides of the top-piece 2. If desired, these plates may be I made of rlgid material so as to serve as" guide members for the relatively moving parts 2 and 3; and in order to further inclose such parts and to hold said plates more rigid, end-pieces 17 may be provided between the plates, the lower corners of the bearing member 3 being shapedas at 18 to permit the relative movement set forth.

It will be seen that I have produced a crutch of a very practical character. The top-piece 1s mounted in such a manner that it does not interfere with the easy use of the Y crutch, but on the contrary, facilitates such use. At the same time it materially decreases the wear upon the clothing of the user, which accompanies the use of the ordinary crutch, making it possible to use to ad- I While the invention is illustrated and described herein with considerable particular ity, it will be understood that Ido not intendtobe limited in the interpretation of the appended claims except as may be neces- V sitated by the state of the prior art.

.I' claim as my invention 1. A crutch having, in combination, a toppiece, a bearing, member for the top-piece, said top-piece and bearingmember being shaped to permit -relative 1 rolling motion therebetween and having intermeshing teeth,

' a rodQ-pivoted at one; end to said top-piece and having 'anut'on its other end, a spring bearing between sald nutland said bearing member, sa1d;;bear1ng member having a cen-' tral slot therein through whichsaid rod extends, and plates secured on opposite sides of the top-piece and adaptedto in close substantially the moving'parts.

' 2; A crutch having, in combination, atoppiece, a bearing'member for the top-piece, said top-piece and bearing, member being shaped to permit relative, rolling -motion therebetween, a rod pivoted at one' end to "said top-pi ece and having-a nut on its other end,- and a compression sprlng bearing be-.

tween said nut and said bearing member. 7 A crutch having, in combination, a toppiece, a bearmg member for the top-piece,

' said top-piece and bearing member being therebetween membercarried by :a staff, a topmember and aconnection between the, top member and said fixed member,-at least one of the contacting surfaces of said members being curved, and said connecting means being adapted when the crutch is in use to permit of a relative rolling. motion therebetween with a shifting of the bearing point between said members along substantially the entir length of the fixed member,

. A crutch having, in combination, a top;

7 piece having a curved lowersurface, a bear 'ing member'- having a' substantially stralght upper surface upon which the top-piece is 0 adapted to bear, and means for retaining the top-piecein position upon the-bearing memberand adapted to permit relative rolling motion between the top-piece and bearing member, said contacting surfaces being pro- 6. A crutch having, in combination, a top-- vided with intermeshing teeth to prevent relative endwise movement between the toppiece and the bearing member.

6O piece, a bearing member, and spring means f connecting said top-piece and bearing mem-' her and permitting the. bearing member to roll upon the top-piece while the latter'is held stationary, said means being adapted to limit the extent of such movement of the bearing member. I I

7. In a-"cru tch, the comblnation with a staff, of a fixedmember, a top member, and g V means for retaining said top'member on said fixed member adapted when the-crutch isin use to permit of a relative "rolling motion therebetween so that the point of; support for the top piece moves in the swinging of the staff substantially along the entire, length of the fixed member depending upon the eX-. tent of swinging movementof the staff rela t-ive to the top piece. i

7 In testimony whereof I have hereunto set i my hand.

ALFRED VB. LoUiso 

